The Coastal Cities of California wish to split off from the rest of California to become the 51st state. Your thoughts?

@SW-User 9. California
> Median household income: $64,500
> Population: 39,144,818 (the highest)
> 2015 Unemployment rate: 6.2% (7th highest)
> Poverty rate: 15.3% (19th highest)

A typical California household earns $64,500 a year, far higher than the national median income of $55,775. The cost of living is especially high in California, however, with goods and services costing an average of 12.4% more than they do across the country. Relatively high incomes are likely driving up home values. The typical home in the state is worth $449,100, more than double the value of the typical American home.

Although California is home to some of the wealthiest individuals nationwide, 15.3% of state residents live in poverty. California is one of a handful of rich states with poverty rates above the national poverty rate of 14.7%. Indeed, income inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient is more pervasive in California than in all but three other states.

http://247wallst.com/special-report/2016/09/15/americas-richest-and-poorest-states-4/2/

@4meAndyou Just out of curiosity, do you live here and are honestly concerned ? Or is this a typical “liberal-bashing” jaunt ? Just wondering 🤔

@4meAndyou I'm still not seeing any argument why you are saying California is the poorest state, or are you just not used to words having clear definitions.

@4meAndyou The article you cite lists Mississippi as the poorest state. California is listed as the 9th richest state. Are you daft?

@SW-User I googled it and saw it earlier tonight, but heard it on the news also. I can no longer bring it up on google. Poverty rates are higher in California than the national level while goods and services are also higher, as is housing, which is why you have tent cities.

@4meAndyou We have a large homeless population partially because people come here from other states.

@bijouxbroussard State of Mexico? I might have thought the recent fires, mudslides and other disasters responsible for thousands of homeless.

@4meAndyou Noooo, from other states in the US. The recent disasters definitely haven't helped. And some people [b]are[/b] leaving the state because of the cost of living. (Incidentally, California used to BE part of Mexico, so yeah, there would be a lot of Latinos here even without the undocumented).

@SW-User Too bad he doesn't use some of his claimed surplus to pay off the states debt.

@jackson55 But you understand we're not even in the top 10 with regard to debt, right ?
https://www.usgovernmentdebt.us/state_debt_rank

@bijouxbroussard I heard it on the news and it shocked me. But everyone (now) seems to have a hair across their...um...er...posterior. We can't even talk about it without people flinging accusations. I realize that has become "the way" for some, but I don't like being accused of "liberal bashing" either. Just as I don't like being accused of being malicious when I am presenting things I both heard on the news and read on google (unfortunately google articles seem to disappear the moment you leave the page).

@4meAndyou AND I have just had a malicious software notification as I posted my response.

@4meAndyou This is the atmosphere, unfortunately. Everyone seems to have an angle. I initially answered the question with my perspective, because just this morning as soon as this was discussed and polled on the news almost everyone called in, like I said 83% of those voting, [b]NO[/b]. And it's not the first time this has been proposed, along with seceding from the U.S., etc. I honestly don't see it happening. And I got sniped at from "ultra-conserve" about the election which this wasn't about. So I thought I would clarify motives.

@4meAndyou Oh, gosh ! Sorry. 😳

@bijouxbroussard So that makes it alright? California has 450 billion in unfunded liabilities. They just raised fuel taxes and reg fees to fix the roads. I wonder what they did with the last two times they raised fuel taxes to fix the roads? Where did that money go? California takes in more money in fuel taxes than any other state, but look at the sad condition many of the highways and roads are. Jerry already said they were going to take 30% of the new fuel tax for other projects. $35 million over budget already for his train to nowhere and they haven't layed a foot of track. 12% of the US population and 30% of the welfare. That's why I moved to Arizona, it's not run by crazy politions that have no regard for the people's money.

@jackson55 No, it's just the only state that actually cancelled the Martin Luther King holiday, lol. Congratulations ! It's only slightly less in debt than California, based upon that list: California, Michigan, Arizona.

[@ And why do you think the cost of living is so high there? California has a spending probblem and there's no one to sit on the other side of the table on behalf of the tax payers. Arizona may not be perfect but it's not run by a bunch of liberal polititions.

@jackson55 I'd still rather be around liberals than KKK.